Why the author worry so much about China customs? I never had a problem go through China customs with regards to my laptops. And never seen nor read that someone having trouble about it.
If I were to sum up my personal experience with Chinese gov. officials, I think "apathetic", or even "lazy" would be a much more apt description.
My response above is more about the paranoia some people tend to have when visiting China because of the reputation of its government, when from my personal experience, the people and the government workers of China are some of the most non-ideological, politically apathetic people I have interacted with.
How is it reasonable or courteous to require your conference attendees to read a long guide, buy a throwaway laptop, set it up, etc., or run the risk of being requested to decrypt sensitive information at the border or have their devices seized?
Just because the US and China get away with this does not mean that all countries do. Just pick any state in this list http://www.wassenaar.org/participating-states/ that doesn't have a history of requesting decryption or taking traveler's property without good cause.
https://wiki.debian.org/non-US (Also: OpenBSD etc)
US customs is fine. TSA is a mixed bag. But US immigration are unfathomably rude and disrespectful for no reason at all; they treat you like scum. I've been through US immigration & customs a lot, been sent to secondary three times, ironically the people you deal with in secondary are more polite/reasonable than the people in the little glass booths, but still very "respect my authority."
Ironically going into the US feels more like entering a police state than going into Russia. The Russians were just super disinterested and to-the-point. The US is fine once you're in, but getting in as a non-American is a bad first impression (the UK has this issue too).
I'd hate to think how much worse they would treat me if I was non-white and from a country with traditionally bad or mixed ties to the US. From other people's anecdotes that I've read or spoken to: Bad. Just by what their official union supports (and who) you can get a sense of their views on other races.
Last year the US just started a new policy of asking foreigners for our social media credentials. It is starting out as option, but like all of these things it is just a matter of "when" not "if" it will be made mandatory.
Never had a single problem with US immigration or customs. Had plenty of issues with Canadian customs on the other hand. Especially when crossing the border by bus. From Canada to US, never an issue, from US to Canada, treated like shit every time.
What matters is that nerve-wracking bullshit like this[1] happens to people (little old ladies!) from allied bloody countries.
Mem Fox is a celebrated Australian author of childrens books.
She later received an apology, but only because she's famous. Tough luck to the average foreigner who gets abused by your border agents.
This is why the US is hell bent on spewing negative propaganda about China and Russia, because it needs to hide the fact that it's a huge embarrassment to itself.
1. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-25/mem-fox-detained-at-lo...
After I became an Australian citizen, I never had problems entering Australia again, interestingly (as everywhere else, they have different Customs areas for citizens).
That is a bold claim. As an Australian it would be enlightening if you could provide links to support your assertion.